They Shoot Red Shirts Dont They?
by SunnyInOregon
Summary: Scotty and Uhura meet for the first time.
1. Chapter 1

The Red Shirt Chronicles

Written by: Sunny

Title: They Shoot Red Shirts, Don't They?

Pairing: Scotty and Uhura

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I'm just playing with them.

Summary: Scotty and Uhura meet for the first time.

Part 1

Uhura peeked around the corner cautiously, after determining that the passageway was clear she stepped out of the doorway and headed for her quarters. She tightened her grip on the towel she wore and prayed that no one would see her. It was highly unlikely as it was the middle of Gamma shift and those not working were tucked away in their beds. The people who were working would have no reason to come to this deck at this hour as well.

This was the third time in a month that her roommate had "accidentally" taken Uhuras' clothes from the shower area and Uhura had been forced to make her way back to their quarters wearing nothing but a towel. So far she had been lucky not to be caught but she was not one to believe in luck. However, she wouldn't be in this predicament if the sonics in their quarters were working.

Uhura had transferred to the Enterprise five weeks ago. As a junior officer she had been assigned to share quarters with one other officer. Lieutenant Hemsley was a nice girl with a strange sense of humor and an overactive imagination. Unfortunately, the sonics in their section of the deck had been damaged in a recent skirmish with the Klingon Empire.

Sonics were pretty low on the repair lists so most of the officers were forced to go elsewhere to shower. Uhura and Hemsley had opted for the recreation room showers. The rec room was located on the same deck as their quarters just on the other side of the ship. It was a long way to go wearing nothing but a towel.

She had traveled about one hundred feet when she heard the turbolift doors open behind her and boot-steps thunk on the deck. She tried to hurry down the corridor but slipped on the smooth surface and landed less than gracefully on her butt.

Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott yawned as he rubbed a hand over his bleary eyes. The hour was late and it felt as if the turbolift had a personal vendetta against him getting to his bed. It was the third day in a row that he had worked a double shift attempting to finish the repairs he had promised the Captain would be done in just a few more days. The primary repairs to weapons, shields and the warp drive were complete only a few minor patches were still needed then the secondary systems could be repaired.

The turbolift doors opened and he stepped unsteadily into the passageway. Scotty took three steps towards his quarters when he heard a thump and a muttered curse to his right. He frowned knowing it was late and wondering who was so drunk that they fell on the floor.

He changed directions mid-step prepared to verbally flail whomever it was mucking about. As he rounded the curve he could see the very naked backside of a female crewmember. He halted abruptly and paused to re-gather his thoughts. He watched bemusedly as the woman stood up and wrapped a rather small towel around her shapely form. She took two steps before he spoke. "Stay right there."

Uhura trembled slightly as her panicked mind attempted to identify the voice behind her. She had heard the boot steps headed away from her just as she slipped and thought she was in the clear. In her addled state she had not heard the returning steps.

"About face," he ordered quietly.

She swirled about crisply lost her footing and barely righted herself without landing on the floor again. Her towel slipped lower over her left breast. She hitched it up again then realized how much thigh and hip she had just exposed and readjusted. She could feel the heat flaming across her face.

The man in front of her didn't look amused. He was slightly taller than her, dark hair and eyes, a definitely pleasant looking face if it wasn't scrunched into a frown like it currently was. He wore a red shirt but she couldn't see his rank as he had his hands clasped behind his back.

"Lassie," he began quietly. "I dinna know who told you to polish the deck but that isn't the way we do it on the Enterprise."

It took a moment for Uhura to process his words. His stance and tone were all business but his words and the slight gleam in his eyes were teasing. She stood there at a loss for words, an irony she made mental note of, then suddenly put a name to the voice.

She groaned and prepped herself for the worse. She had heard the rumors about his taskmaster ways. Many of the new engineers complained long and loud about how he made them work harder than any other Chief they had ever met. 'Oh my God,' she thought. 'Of all the officers on the ship why did she have to run into Montgomery Scott!'

"Are you injured," he asked worriedly as he squinted at her.

"No sir," she squeaked. Normally calm and collected she felt like a first year cadet again. Of course, most first year cadets don't get caught running around ship in a towel. She squeezed her arms around herself under her breasts lifting the lower edge of the towel again.

"Ok," he replied slowly. "Where are your clothes?"

"In my quarters sir," she replied before biting her lower lip.

He nodded and his expression turned more thoughtful. "And your quarters are…"

"On the other side of the ship," she finished for him.

"I see." He moved a few steps closer and folded his arms across his chest. "Do ye always wander around the decks wearing nothing but a towel in the middle of the night?"

"No sir," she squeaked again. By all rights she should tell him about her roommates penchant for practical jokes but as an officer she knew she needed to take responsibility for this incident. She thought about making a run for her cabin but nixed the idea when she remembered her inability to remain upright without the help of shoes.

'Damn! I just got here and now I'm probably going to be reassigned. OH MY GAWD! They shoot red shirts, don't they?' She had heard a statistic during the academy that showed a higher percentage of red shirts were killed on starships than all the others combined. Was it a method of discipline? Was she about to become a statistic?

Scotty wasn't quite sure what to do. In his area of expertise he didn't normally have to deal with beautiful women wearing towels. Not that he didn't have experience with women in towels it just usually wasn't part of his professional life. A lesser man would take advantage of the situation. He knew the sonics on this deck only worked in about half of the cabins or less so he figured she must have been using the ones in the rec room. What he couldn't figure out was why she had left her clothes in her quarters.

It was late he was tired and really could see no reason to punish the young woman. She was obviously embarrassed. 'Hopefully,' he thought. 'That would be enough to deter her from doing this again.' However, he couldn't let her wander about in her current state of dress either.

Scotty peeled off his shirt and held it out to the woman. It wasn't the cleanest thing in the world but it was all he had at the moment. In his tired state there was only so much exposed skin he could resist from touching the best thing to do was help her cover it up. "Put this on," he ordered.

She carefully took the shirt and looked at him beseechingly. He executed a perfect about face and waited patiently. He smiled to himself and wondered what she would say if he told her he had pretty much seen all of her anyways and his turning around now wouldn't change that. But he held his tongue. The rustle of fabric told him she was complying with his order.

"Ok," she said after a minute.

He turned back to see that she was indeed wearing his shirt. The sleeves were too long the rest of the shirt hung off her shoulders hiding her curves very well. He couldn't see how much of her it covered as she had wrapped the towel around her waist over the shirt. The lower edge of the towel now rested above her knees.

He motioned for her to move up the passageway in the direction she had been going. "I'll walk you to your quarters. Jus to make sure you get there in one piece."

"Thank you sir," she replied as she led the way.

"What's your name, lass?" He asked casually while moving up to walk next to her.

"Lieutenant Nyota Uhura." She answered shyly.

Now that she was not trying to hide behind a very small towel she felt more comfortable being in the Commanders' presence. He appeared to be a quiet man one whom kept to himself and yet he also exuded a confidence that assured her he had the ability to lead the crew of the Enterprise without pause. She felt safe with him and found herself drawn to him especially when he spoke.

"Well Lieutenant, any idea who I am?" he continued.

She nodded. "Lieutenant Commander Scott, Chief engineer and second officer."

"Aye, lass. You don't work for me, do you?" he asked almost as an afterthought.

"Not directly sir," she smiled to herself hoping his question meant he was interested in her. "I'm in communications."

They fell silent again until they reached her quarters.

"This is it sir," she stated as she stopped outside the door.

"In you go lass," he prompted. "And stop prowling about in your towel."

"Yes sir," she smiled warmly. She stood on her toes and brushed a kiss on his cheek then turned away and quickly stepped into her quarters.

Scotty blinked in response and waited until she entered the room and the doors shut before he hurried to his own quarters. He knew that sleep would not be as forthcoming as it should have been instead he would settle for a drink and his own shower. And all the while the young lieutenant would be at the forefront of his mind.

The doors had barely slid closed and the lights were only halfway lit before Scotty had a glass of scotch in his hand. He took a long pull and closed his eyes. Pictures of her nakedness flitted through his mind causing his body to respond. It really didn't help that he could still feel the softness of her lips against his cheek as the lingering scent of her body tickled his nose.

He sat on the edge of a chair removed his boots then grabbed his glass of scotch and headed for the shower. He took another pull from the glass put it on the counter then reached for his shirt. It was then that he realized he left his shirt with the lass. He contemplated going back for it then decided to let her keep it as a souvenir. Stripping out of his clothes he threw them in the recycler and stepped into the shower.

Uhura stood in the dark room and hugged herself as she sighed in relief. 'That could have been much worse,' she thought. She wondered if he thought her to be too bold kissing a man she had just met. She had no idea what had gotten into her but it had felt like the right thing to do at the moment. And she didn't regret it at all.

Obviously the rumors about Commander Scott weren't exactly true. He was a gentleman even if his shirt was a little smelly. 'He is probably waiting for his shirt,' she thought. She hurried across the room to grab her robe. She hastily changed and carried the shirt to the door. The passageway was empty and she had no idea where his quarters were. She would just have to return the shirt at a later time.

She turned back into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. Her roommate was sound asleep on the other bed. No doubt she would find Uhura's late night predicament very funny. Uhura decided not to tell her roommate about this as it would only prompt the other woman to do it again. She folded the shirt carefully then placed it under her mattress. She didn't want Hemsley to see it and ask questions.

She changed into her night clothes and climbed into bed. The tiredness in her body however could not overpower the thoughts in her head. She found herself replaying the entire run in with Commander Scott and wondered what exactly he was thinking of the situation. She let her mind wander to a romantic and erotic fantasy about the man then quickly dismissed it as he was one of her commanding officers and she had just met him. But a woman could dream.


	2. Chapter 2

The Red Shirt Chronicles

Written by: Sunny

Title: They Shoot Red Shirts, Don't They?

Pairing: Scotty and Uhura

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I'm just playing with them.

Summary: Scotty and Uhura meet for the first time.

Part 2

This was getting very tiresome Uhura thought. Her roommate really needed a swift kick if she thought this was funny. Two nights ago Uhura had spent half an hour in a storage closet waiting for the passageway to clear, someone had a party that spilled out of their quarters, and last night she could have sworn she saw Commander Scott just as she entered her quarters. Not that she didn't want to see the man again she was just hoping to have a few more clothes on when she did. This time there was no warning as the sound of his voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Lieutenant, I might be a gentleman but I am not a saint."

She turned around to look at him. He was leaning casually against the wall arms folded across his chest and smirk on his face. "I am so sorry Commander," she said softly though her pulse started racing at the sight of him.

"I'm starting to think you're waiting for me, are you?" he grinned widely.

She balked at her answer. "No. Umm…yes?"

He moved closer and reached out to touch her shoulder. "Now that's an interesting answer."

She liked the feel of his hand on her bare shoulder his fingers softly caressed her collar bone. "I wanted to see you, just… I was hoping to be dressed. Grr, I am so going to kill her."

Scotty pulled back and folded his arms across his chest. "Do you want to tell me the whole story, before you commit this murder or after?"

"It's my roommate," she breathed already missing his touch. "She thinks it's funny to steal my clothes when I am in the shower."

"I knew there was more to this story then you were letting on. You should tell her to stop," Scotty stated blandly.

"You don't think I've tried? She thinks it's hilarious and apparently wants me to get into trouble." 

"Well, this cannot continue," Scotty pointed out. "As much as I am enjoying seeing you if this continues I'm going to have to report it."

"I know," Uhura said quietly. She stared at the deck not sure what to do or say. They stood there in silence for a few minutes. "It's kind of cold out here sir. Can I go to my quarters?"

"Aye," he agreed. "I'd offer you my shirt but I seem to be running out of them."

"If you wait I'll give it back to you," she suggested hoping to re-create the intimacy she had felt with him the previous night.

"Fine," he sighed. Scotty removed his shirt handed it to Uhura then turned around. Uhura smiled to herself as she un-wrapped her towel then threw it over Scotty's shoulder.

"Hold this for a minute, will you?" she teased.

"That's just not right," he groaned. A few seconds later she tugged the towel off of his shoulder and re-wrapped it around her waist.

"Your shirt is not quite long enough," she said casually.

"Neither is that towel," he admitted as he turned back to face her. "It doesn't cover as much as you think it does."

She stared at him. "It doesn't?"

He pursed his lips and shook his head. "I pretty much saw everything the first time."

She gaped at him as her face flushed.

"If it's any help I liked what I saw," he smiled innocently.

"I don't know whether to be offended or complimented."

His face turned serious. "I meant no offense lass. In fact, I apologize. I was completely out of line. It won't happen again."

He began to turn away from her and she reached out and grabbed his arm. "Wait! Don't get all official, please."

He stopped and looked back at her. She changed her grip on his arm to a caress. She started to speak when they heard the turbolift doors open and several people step into the passageway.

"It's the Captain," Scotty whispered. "Get in the closet."

Uhura hurried to comply unaware that Scotty had followed her into the room until the door had closed and he locked it. She held her breath as the footsteps grew closer then paused outside of the closet door.

"This is ridiculous," Dr McCoy growled. "There is no one here."

"I assure you Doctor, I heard someone moving about in this area," Spock replied calmly.

"Whoever it was has probably scampered off to their quarters," Kirk suggested.

"Where we should be," McCoy drawled.

"I believe they might be in this closet," Spock pointed out.

Uhura looked at Scotty in a slight panic then looked for a hiding place. The closet wasn't very big. With all of the stuff in the room there wasn't a lot of space for people. They would just have to face their fate if Spock got the door open.

She felt Scotty move away from her then he put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. From the angle of his body she could tell he was leaning against something just what, she did not know. She moved without hesitation and laid her head on his chest. He was warm and smelled manly as she rubbed her cheek against his undershirt. She jumped as the door release buzzed but the door did not open.

"Easy," Scotty whispered in her ear.

"It seems to be locked," Spock stated sounding puzzled.

"Maybe whoever is in there doesn't want to be disturbed," McCoy suggested.

'Amen to that,' Uhura thought.

"What could they be doing in there that would require them to lock the doors," Spock asked.

"If you can't figure that out I'm not telling," McCoy responded. "Maybe we should just leave them alone."

'Please,' she pleaded desperately in her mind.

"I agree," Kirk cut in. "Gentlemen lets go to my quarters and have some Saurian Brandy."

"Sounds good to me," McCoy stated. Uhura glanced up to look at Scotty but in the dark she could only make out the bottom of his chin. She felt his arm tighten around her and knew that he was aware of her gaze. She settled back on his chest and listened to the sound of his heart beat. He seemed to be calm which was very reassuring to her.

During her waking hours the last few days, she had casually inquired of her shipmates about the Commander and had found her initial estimates of him to be completely off base. She had found that he was very popular with all of the crew though for very different reasons.

Everyone respected his knowledge and work ethics but the female crewmembers stated that he was a kind and gentle man whom treated women with respect. Several women hinted at being former lovers of his but would not divulge any information other than a smile and the suggestion to go for it if she had the chance.

She decided that she did want to go for it if they survive the next few minutes even though Starfleet regulations clearly outlined that fraternization was not allowed. 'Regulations be damned,' she thought as she wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed. She felt him respond by brushing his lips across her forehead.

"Captain, might I point out that there are very few people on this ship that can actually lock these doors," Spock said. "In fact, I can only think of three. And two of them are standing in this passageway."

"Damn," Uhura breathed softly.

"Aye," Scotty said just as softly.

There was silence for a moment then Kirk laughed. "Mr. Scott! Are you in the closet?"

Scotty breathed deeply and kissed her forehead again before he replied, "Aye Captain."

"Why are you in the closet," Kirk asked bemusedly.

Scotty hesitated.

"Why don't you come out of there," Kirk suggested softly but firmly.

"Really sir?"

"Let's not make it an order," Kirk replied.

Scotty looked down at Uhura. "I'm sorry lass," he whispered before he gently pulled out of her grasp. He reached over and unlocked the door as it slid apart he slipped through the opening blocking the view inside.

Kirk frowned when he saw his Chief Engineer. "Mr. Scott, you're out of uniform."

Scotty looked down at his black undershirt and tried to think of something that wouldn't be too damning. "Aye sir."

Kirk waited for a moment. "Do you want to get your shirt?"

Scotty looked over his shoulder and frowned. "Not really sir."

"Mr. Scott, I don't have time for…"

"Captain please," Scotty pleaded. "It's her roommates fault sir. Not that I am passing any blame but we're just innocent victims."

"Who? What?" Kirk was confused. He tried to peer past Scotty's shoulder. "Is there someone else in there?"

"Aye sir," Scotty said softly.

"Maybe your friend could come out here," Kirk suggested.

"Aye sir," Scotty nodded and stepped to the side.

Uhura peeked cautiously through the doorway.

"It's alright," Kirk smiled. "We won't bite much."

"Yes sir," Uhura replied timidly. She stepped through the door and moved next to Scotty latching onto his arm. The Captain gave her an appraising look before turning back to his Chief Engineer.

"Mister Scott," he began firmly. Kirk's face was set in a firm line.

"It's not his fault sir," Uhura cut in.

"It's not his fault you are standing here wearing his shirt and a towel?" Kirk asked angrily.

"No sir. My roommate likes to steal my clothes while I am in the shower. Mister Scott caught me in the passageway and gave me his shirt to wear," Uhura explained.

"I see," Kirk nodded. He gave her another appraising look before turning to his Chief Engineer with a smirk. "Chivalry, Mr. Scott?"

Scotty smiled and nodded. "It's a very small towel sir."

Uhura pinched the back of his arm making his yelp and look at her in surprise. She glared at him.

"Sorry lass," he apologized.

"I still fail to see why you were locked in the closet," Kirk prodded.

"I didn't want the lass to get into trouble, sir," Scotty volunteered. "So I locked us in the closet."

"Normally I would be pretty good at figuring out things like this," McCoy cut in. "But even I can't figure out why you would be in the passageway in a towel at this time of the night."

"It's very logical Doctor," Spock stated. Everyone turned to look at the Vulcan First Officer. "The sonics in sixty-seven percent of the quarters on this deck are not currently working. I am assuming that the young lady here has quarters on this deck and as such is probably using the showers in the recreation room."

Kirk turned to Uhura. "Is that correct… I'm sorry I don't remember your name."

"Lieutenant Nyota Uhura," she replied. "And yes it's true what Mr. Spock said."

"Good God man," McCoy burst in. "Fix the damn showers. People need to be clean."

"I'm doing the best that I can Doctor. There are other more important things on my list," Scotty replied.

"Gentlemen, I'm sure everything will be fixed in good time," Kirk said firmly. "However, we can't have the crew running around the decks wearing nothing but towels…or senior officers' uniform shirts. Lieutenant, what is your roommates' name?"

"Lieutenant Hemsley sir," she replied softly.

"Fine. I'll take care of it." Kirk looked at Uhura again. "Nothing personal lieutenant but I hope I don't see you running around the passageways like this again."

Uhura smiled. "I agree sir. It is rather embarrassing."

"Goodnight," Kirk said formally. "Mr. Scott, please escort the Lieutenant to her quarters and get your shirt and your arm back."

"Aye sir," Scotty smiled as he squeezed his arm to his side trapping Uhura's hand that was still wrapped around his bicep. They said their goodnights and as Kirk, Spock and McCoy headed off in one direction Scotty and Uhura went in the other.


	3. Chapter 3

The Red Shirt Chronicles

Written by: Sunny

Title: They Shoot Red Shirts, Don't They?

Pairing: Scotty and Uhura

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I'm just playing with them.

Summary: Scotty and Uhura meet for the first time.

Part 3

Scotty smiled to himself as he thought about their time in the storage closet. He was now convinced that she liked him. He wondered if he should press his luck and kiss her when they got back to her quarters. She seemed eager enough when they were in the closet wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing herself against him. And, of course, she kissed him the other night.

He knew he was going to receive a lot of ribbing from Kirk and McCoy about the entire situation. And if he was lucky enough to gain the lass's favor the Captain would turn a blind eye. All the senior officers', except Spock, had negotiated a night or two with the female crewmembers at one time or another. Though it was frowned upon at Fleet headquarters what happened in space was at the Captain's discretion. And sometimes, this Captain wasn't very discreet.

The only reference to the situation that he would hear from Spock would be an inquiry into how the engineer had overridden the computer so that Spock could not open the storage closet. And that was a secret he would not impart. It would keep the Vulcan busy for a day or two.

"Wait here," Uhura said as they reached her quarters. She went inside while he stood awkwardly in the passageway. A moment later she re-appeared still wearing his shirt and the towel. "Come on in."

He looked around nervously for a moment before stepping through the doors. The gentle scent of perfume caressed his nose as his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. Uhura stood a few feet inside the door watching him with her beautiful brown eyes.

"My roommate left a note," she explained softly. "She's sleeping somewhere else tonight."

"Really," Scotty replied cautiously. "Are you going to be ok by yourself?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Scotty took a breath to answer then stopped himself. "That was kind of a stupid thing to say, wasn't it? It's not like there are any Klingons here."

Uhura smiled at him. "I hope not."

They stood awkwardly looking at each other for a moment. Scotty wondered if he should take a chance now. The lass looked like she was about to bolt out of the door. 'Maybe she's as nervous as I am,' he thought.

"Why don't you sit down," Uhura suggested. "I'll go change."

"Ok," Scotty nodded. He moved over to the small couch and sat on the edge while Uhura went into the rear of the quarters behind a wall panel. Scotty tried to calm himself as she changed. He took a few deep breaths to clear his head. He hadn't been this nervous in ages. There was something special about this woman that made him cautious. He didn't want to ruin things before they got started.

She walked back to him wearing a short sleek robe that was held together by a small sash around her waist. Scotty calculated how long it would take to get it off of her then quickly turned his thoughts elsewhere. 'Slowly,' he chastised himself. He mentally groaned as he knew he would be removing that robe in his dreams.

"Here you go," she said shyly as she handed him his shirt.

"Thank you lass."

"Do you want the other one," she asked as she moved over to her bed and pulled it out from under the mattress.

"Keep it," Scotty replied.

She hugged the shirt to her chest. "Are you sure?"

He smiled. "Aye."

She smiled back then carefully placed the shirt under the mattress again. Meanwhile, Scotty put his other shirt back on.

"It looked better on you," he muttered as he smoothed down the front. Uhura stepped in front of him and ran a hand down his chest.

"I don't know," she said wistfully. "I think it looks pretty good on you."

Scotty caught her hand and held it with both of his. "Lassie, I'm hoping you'll say yes to seeing me again. Without all of the distractions, if you know what I mean?"

She nodded and bit her lower lip. "I don't want you to get into trouble…"

"We won't," Scotty assured her. "We practically have the Captains blessing."

"Really?"

"Aye," he replied as he pulled her a little closer. "I should go."

"Really?" she whispered sadly as she stepped even closer her lower body touching his.

He released her hand and cupped her face with both of his hands. "First, I need to kiss you."

"Oh yes," she sighed.

He watched her eyes flutter shut as he moved closer. Her gentle breath caressed his face as he brushed her lips with his own. Her lips were soft and warm. He firmly pressed their mouths together for a few moments before deepening the kiss. She parted her lips to allow his tongue entry and he tasted her hungrily.

He felt her wrap her arms around his waist and press herself fully against his body. Time seemed to stop as he kissed her deeper and deeper. His hands moved from her face down her shoulders and around her back to hold her firmly. They were so caught up with their kiss that they didn't hear the door open.

"Excuse me," a voice penetrated the air causing them to part. Scotty looked over Uhura's shoulder at the woman standing in the room. "Are you staying the night? Because… really, that will be awkward."

Scotty frowned as Uhura turned around to face her roommate. "I thought you were going to be gone all night."

Lt. Hemsley shrugged. "Change of plans."

"I need to go," Scotty stated raggedly. He moved toward the door. "Goodnight lassies."

"Goodnight," Hemsley said casually as she moved across the room and flopped onto her bed.

Uhura followed Scotty to the door. "When will I see you again?"

"In the morning," Scotty suggested with a smile. "Meet me for breakfast in the officers' mess."

"Ok," Uhura agreed not caring that she would only get about three hours of sleep. "I'll see you then."

Scotty caressed her cheek once more before exiting the room and making his way to his own quarters.

Uhura watched the doors close before turning back to face her roommate. Lt. Hemsley was laying on her back staring at Uhura.

"I see you're headed straight for the top of the food chain," Hemsley snarked.

"What do you mean?"

"A Lieutenant Commander? Even I wouldn't be that bold. Who is he?"

Uhura smiled. "Oh I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

Scotty sat in the officers' mess drinking his coffee. He was almost certain that the previous night had been a dream and that he hadn't really kissed an angel. He looked down at his half eaten breakfast and pushed it away.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" a pleasant voice asked over his shoulder. He turned to look into Uhura's deep brown eyes.

"I don't know," he stammered. "Do you want it?"

She smiled and gestured towards her hands. "I have some already."

He half stood as she set the tray on the table next to him and sat down. He sat down again and stared at her.

"What?" she asked with a smile.

"Did we really kiss last night?" he asked softly.

Her smile widened. "Yes."

He sighed and watched her eat. After a few moments he broke the silence. "You look tired."

"I've only had three hours of sleep," she reminded him gently.

"What are you doing here? You should be sleeping," he protested.

"You asked me to have breakfast with you."

"And you came even though you have only slept three hours," he stated with wonder.

"Yes," she said softly. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. She looked at him arching her eyebrow.

"Thank you," he smiled.

She brushed her lips over his. "You're welcome."

A southern twang interrupted their private moment. "You two aren't going to be doing that throughout breakfast, are you?"

"There are plenty of other places for you to sit," Scotty replied as he scowled at the other man.

"Hush," Uhura laughed. "You're welcome to join us Dr. McCoy."

"Thank you my dear," McCoy said jovially as he sat across from the pair. "Finally, we have a lady on this ship. You sure you want to hang out with this miscreant?"

"Miscreant?" Scotty repeated indignantly. "I'm less of a miscreant than you are!"

"I never said you weren't," McCoy said as he sipped his juice. "I just thought the lady might want to know a little about your character."

Uhura laughed and asked, "Are you two always like this?"

Scotty scowled at the Doctor but before he could reply another voice interrupted. "Don't mind them, Lieutenant. You should hear them after a few days together on shore leave," Captain Kirk chuckled. "Just some friendly ribbing."

"Oh I'm not worried I already know all about Scotty's character," she stated matter-of-factly.

It was Scotty's turn to raise an eyebrow at her. "Oh really?"

Her cheeks turned a slight pink. "You don't think I let just anyone kiss me? Do you?"

"I don't know," Scotty frowned. "I hardly know you."

"You'll find that I'm rather selective about whom I kiss," she admitted.

"Good," Scotty said. He finished his coffee and stood up. "Unfortunately, I have to go to work."

Uhura scrambled out of her seat grabbed some fruit and dumped the rest of her tray. "I'll walk part way with you."

Scotty smiled and motioned for her to precede him out of the mess hall. Kirk and McCoy watched with amused smiles as the pair left without saying goodbye.

"This ought to be interesting," Jim murmured.

McCoy sighed. "I may need to raid your alcohol collection soon."

"You think their relationship is already doomed?"

"Scotty is already head over heels over her," McCoy pointed out. "She is young beautiful, intelligent and single everything he likes in a woman. And everything that makes them leave him. It's getting harder to fix his broken heart."

"She looks like a woman who knows what she wants," Kirk replied. "And right now it looks like she wants Scotty."

"It's not right now that I am worried about," McCoy said.

"You worry too much," Kirk stated as he dug into his breakfast.

"She's very new to this ship," McCoy continued. "She's hardly had a chance to get her feet wet let alone meet men on this tub. Once she realizes what is out there in the gene pool…"

"Can you stop being Dr. Gloom and let me eat in peace before I have to go to work?"

"Fine," McCoy grumbled. "Just don't come running to me when your chief engineer is crying his eyes out over his broken heart."

"I won't," Kirk promised. "He usually goes to you first."

Finis


End file.
